Device for aligning the ends of strip



Aug. 29, 1967 Filed July 7, 1965 J. F. NELSON DEVICE FOR ALIGNING THE ENDS OF STRIP 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 50 5/ 74 HE E.

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JOHN E NELSON Attorney A g 29, 1967 J. F. NELSON DEVICE FOR ALIGNING THE ENDS OF STRIP 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 7, 1965 m a g \m MIN NW mm 08 y Wm M MN M w 4! ma m H M W vv PM A Aug. 29, 1967 J. F. NELSON DEVICE FOR ALIGNING THE ENDS OF STRIP 3 Sheets-Sheet I3 Filed July 7, 1965 INVENTOR. JOHN F. NELSON Affarney coil C feeds over a deflector roll United States Patent 3,338,498 DEVICE FOR ALIGNING THE ENDS 0F STRIP John F. Nelson, Concord, Calif., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed July 7, 1965, Ser. No. 470,039 12 Claims. (Cl. 2284) This invention relates to a device for aligning the ends of long-length strips preliminary to joining them together.

Although the invention is not thus limited, the device is particularly useful in combination with a continuous processng line for metal strip (for example, an electrolytic tinning line). conventionally such lines include two pay-01f reels adapted to support respective coils of strip. While strip from one coil feeds into the line, a second coil is loaded on the other reel in readiness for feeding. When the first coil is exhausted, the leading end of the second coil is Welded to the trailing end of the first. Before welding, it is necessary to square the ends of the strip in each coil and accurately align the ends. Usually the ends are aligned manualy, which is hazardous and time-consuming and not always accurate. Any misalignment may cause operating difliculties later in the line. Nevertheless it is apparent my invention may have other application where similar problems are encountered.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved aligning device which enables the leading end of a strip to be aligned accurately and expeditiously with the trailing end of a preceding stri A further object is to provide a device of the foregoing type which can be fitted readily into an existing processing line without otherwise changing the structure.

A more specific object is to provide a device of this type which clamps a strip along one side edge and moves the strip sideways to a position such that the longitudinal center line of the strip lies exactly on the center line of the processing equipment and holds the strip in this position until the strip is clamped in the welding machine.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of the entry end portion of a strip-processing line which can be equipped with my aligning devices;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of my aligning device;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section on line III-III of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an approximately horizontal section on line IV-IV of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical section on a larger scale on line VV of FIGURE 2 with the clamping jaws open;

FIGURE 6 is a vertical section on line VIVI of FIGURE 2 with the jaws open;

FIGURE 7 is a View similar to FIGURE 6, but with the jaws closed;

FIGURE 8 is a vertical section on line VIIL-VIII of FIGURE 2 with the jaws open; and

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FIGURE 8, but with the jaws closed.

FIGURE 1 shows diagrammatically the entry portion of a conventional continuous processing line for metal strip. The line includes two pay-off reels 10 and 12, which carry coils of metal strip C and C respectively. Strip S from 13, through a first set of pinch rolls 14 and a shear 15, across 'a first aligning table 16 and through a welder 17, into the processing equipment of the line (not shown). Strip S extends through a second set of pinch rolls 18, across a carry-over table 19, through a third set of pinch rolls 20 and the shear 15, across a second aligning table 21 and into the welder 17 in readiness for feeding when the first coil C is exhausted. The shear cuts a short segment from each end of the strip in each coil as it passes for the purpose of squaring the ends for welding. The welder has from coil C clamp jaws 22 which remain open as long as strip actually is feeding. The two aligning tables 16 and 21 are equipped with aligning devices constructed in accordance with my invention and hereinafter described. Otherwise the structure is conventional; hence I have not shown it in greater detail.

As FIGURES 2 and 3 show, each aligning table 16 or 21 has a transverse opening 25. I fix front and back rod supports 26 and 27 to the underside of the table at opposite ends of its opening 25, and a middle rod support 28 intermediate the length of this opening (FIGURES 3 and 4). I mount a fixed guide rod 29 and a rotatable feed screw 30 in the three supports 26, 27 and 28. The rod and screw extend in space-d parallel relation to each other transversely of the table. The screw has left and right hand threaded portions 31 and 32, and at its front end carries an operating crank 33. I support an open rectangular frame 34 and a back stop 35 on the rod and screw. Frame 34 has a rearwardly extending tongue 36, the underside of which carries a sleeve 37 slid-ably engaging rod 29 and a nut 38 threadedly engaging the left hand threads 31. The underside of the back stop 35 carries a pair of sleeves 39 slidably engaging rod 29 and a nut 40 threaded-1y engaging the right hand threads 32. Thus turning crank 33 moves both frame 34 and back stop 35 to space them closer together or farther apart to adjust the device for different strip widths. The table carries a scale 41, and frame 34 carries a cooperating pointer 42 to indicate the spacing (FIGURE 2). Preferably also the screw carries a dial 43 and the table another pointer 44 to indicate fine adjustments in the spacing.

I mount a sliding head 46 on rod 29 and on the unthreaded portion of screw 30 within the opening of frame 34. The head has parallel horizontal openings 47 slidably receiving the rod and screw, a third parallel horizontal opening 48 slidably receiving a clamp rod 49, and a vertical opening 50* pivotally receiving a pintle 51 hereinafter described. I attach a tubular extension 52 to the front end of the head 46 in alignment with its opening 48, and an upstanding handle 53 to the end of the extension outside the frame 34. Preferably rod 49 and eX- tension 52 are rectangular in cross section. I pivot an operating lever 54 to the lower portion of handle 53. The clamp rod 49 extends through extension 52 and has a slotted pivotal connection with the lower end of lever 54. The inner end of the opening 48 has a tapped counterbore 55, within which I mount a compression spring 56 and a tubular adjustment nut 57. Spring 56 bears against a shoulder 58 on rod 49 and urges the rod outwardly with respect to the head 46. Thus with this arrangement I can move handle 53 to slide the head 46 relative to frame 34, and I can pivot the lever 54 to move rod 49 relative to the head against the action of spring 56 to the limit permitted by engagement of shoulder 58 with the adjustment nut 57.

I fix a lower clamp jaw 61 on the top of pintle 51, and hinge an opposed upper clamp jaw 62 to the front edge of the lower jaw on a hinge pin 63 (FIGURES 5 to 9). The clamping faces of the two jaws carry wear plates 64. The front edges of the two jaws have integral tabs 65 through which extend bolts 66 (FIGURE 5). Compression springs 67 encircle the upper portions of bolts 66 and bear against nuts 68 at their upper ends and against the upper faces of the tabs 65 on the upper jaw 62 to hold the jaws normally open. The mechanism includes a clamp-operating bar 69 for closing the jaws. The bar has a depending finger 70 which fits within a notch 71 in the upper face of rod 49. Pintle 51 has suitable openings to accommodate rod 49 and finger 70, yet allow pivotal movement on a vertical axis to the limit provided by stops 72 on the top of the head 46 and a cooperating stop 73 on the bottom of the lower jaw 61 3 (FIGURE 5). The lower end of the pintle carries a nut 74 for holding the parts assembled.

The back face of the operating bar 69 carries a pair of spaced-apart C-shaped brackets 75 (FIGURES 6 and 7). I connect the lower ends of the brackets with the lower jaw 61 through fixed-length toggle plates 76, and the upper ends of the brackets with the upper jaw 62 through adjustable-length toggle plates 77. The outer faces of the jaws have grooved bosses 78 which receive the ends of the toggle plates. The upper flanges of the brackets 75 carry set screws 79 for adjusting the effective length of the upper toggle plates 77. Movement of rod 49 toward the back (i.e., the right) relative to the head 46 swings the operating bar 69 counterclockwise from the position shown in FIGURES 6 and 8 to that shown in FIGURES 7 and 9 and closes the upper jaw 62 against the lower jaw 61. The toggle action holds the jaws closed until I release them intentionally by moving rod 49 toward the front (i.e., left). Adjustment of the set screws 79 controls the spacing of the jaws when closed.

The front edge of the lower jaw 61 carries a pair of vertical guide sleeves 82, which houses vertically movable stops 83 (FIGURES 8 and 9). The upper ends of these stops carry horizontally projecting pins 84. The operating bar 69 carries bifurcated projections 85. The bifurcations receive the pins 84, whereby the stops 83 are raised to the position shown in FIGURE 8 when the jaws are open and lowered to the position shown in FIGURE 9 when the jaws are closed. The upper face of frame 34 carries a pair of stops 86 cooperable with stops 83. When the stops 83 are raised, they move freely over stops 86, but when lowered they engage. The lower jaw also carries internal stops 87 (FIGURES 8 and 9) engageable with the edge of the strip S or S as hereinafter explained.

The head 46, tongue 36 and back stop 35 carry wear plates 88, 89 and 90 respectively. The upper faces of these wear plates are flush with one another and with the wear plate 64 on the lower jaw 61. The table top carries a series of wear plates 91 which also are flush with the other wear plates. Thus the wear plates afford a smooth surface for supporting the strip as it travels across the table.

In operation, I first adjust the device in accordance with the strip width. I make this adjustment by turning crank 33 to a position such that the pointer 42 is opposite the proper width as indicated on scale 41, and pointer 44 opposite the proper width on dial 43. Turning the crank moves both the frame 34 and back stop 35 equally in opposite directions; hence graduations on scale 41 bear a 1:2 ratio with the strip width. When the squared leading end of a strip reaches the open clamp jaws 22 of the welder 17, I stop the strip. At this stage the strip may lie somewhat askew and out of alignment with the preceding strip. I push handle 53 back or inwardly and thus move the sliding head 46 and the open clamp jaws 61 and 62 toward the strip edge. Both internal stops 87 engage the strip edge, since the jaws pivot with the pintle 51 to align themselves with the edge. I continue to push the handle back until the stops 83 on the lower jaw 61 pass stops 86 on frame 34. Next I operate lever 54 to close the upper jaw 62 against the lower jaw and clamp the edge of the strip and also lower the stops 83. I pull handle 53 toward the front until stops 83 abut stops 86. Again the jaws pivot with pintle 51 to bring both stops 83 into engagement with their respective stops 86. At the same time the far edge of the strip abuts the back stop 35. In this position the longitudinal center line of the strip lies exactly on the longitudinal center line of the preceding strip, and the strips are accurately aligned for Welding. Subsequently I operate lever 54 to release the jaws from the strip, and at the proper time close the jaw 22 of the welder and weld the strips.

From the foregoing description, it is seen that my invention affords a simple device for accurately and quickly aligning the ends of strips to enable them to be joined.

In the example of a continuous processing line, both accuracy and speed are important. Any misalignment causes operating difficulties, such as'cobbles in the line. The time available for aligning and joining the strips is limited by the capacity of looper pits, which provide an accumulation of strip needed to keep the line operating during the changeover.

While I have shown and described only a single embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that modifications may arise. Therefore, I do not Wish to be limited to the disclosure set forth but only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A strip-aligning device comprising a support, a.

frame mounted on said support for adjustment transversely thereof in accordance with the width of a strip, a head mounted on said frame for relative sliding movement with respect to and in the same direction as said frame, clamp means mounted on said head and movable therewith for gripping a strip along its side edge, and cooperating stops on said clamp means and on said frame adapted to engage when a strip gripped by said clamp means is in a predetermined position.

2. A strip-aligning device comprising a support, a frame mounted on said support for adjustment transversely thereof in accordance with the width of a strip, a head mounted on said frame for relative sliding movement with respect to and in the same direction as said frame, clamp means pivoted to said head and movable therewith for gripping a strip along its side edge, stop means within said clamp means for abutting the strip edge, and cooperating stops on said clamp means and on said frame adapted to engage when a strip gripped by said clamp means is in a predetermined position, whereby pivotal movement of said clamp means enables the device to grip and align a strip which is askew initially.

3. A strip-aligning device comprising a support, a frame mounted on said support for adjustment transversely thereof in accordance with the width of a strip, a head mounted on said frame for relative sliding movement with respect and in the same direction as said frame, a lower clamp jaw pivoted to said head on an axis perpendicular to the direction of movement of said head, an upper clamp jaw hinged to said lower jaw, said jaws being movable with said head and adapted to grip a strip along its side edge, stop means between said jaws for abutting the strip edge, and cooperating stops carried by said lower jaw and by said frame adapted to engage when a strip gripped by said jaws is in a predetermined position, whereby pivotal movement of said lower jaw enables the device to align a strip which is askew initially.

4. A device as defined in claim 3 in which the stops carried by said lower jaw are retractable, said device comprising means for projecting and retracting the stops carried by said lower jaw simultaneously with hinging movement of said upper jaw.

5. A strip-aligning device comprising a support, a frame mounted on said support for adjustment transversely thereof in accordance with the width of a strip, a head mounted on said frame for relative sliding movement with respect to and in the same direction as said frame, a lower clamp jaw pivoted to said head on an axis perpendicular to the direction of movement of said head, an upper clamp jaw hinged to said lower jaw, for movement between open and closed positions, spring means normally holding said upper jaw in its open position, said jaws being movable with said head and adapted to grip a strip along its side edge when said upper jaw is in its closed position, stop means between said jaws for abutting the strip edge, a pair of stops carried by said frame, a pair of retractable stops carried by said lower jaw and adapted when projected to engage the stops carried by said frame signifying that a strip gripped by said jaws is in a predetermined position, and means carried by said head and operatively connected with said jaws for simultaneously hinging said upper jaw and projecting or retracting the stops carried by said lower jaw, whereby pivotal movement of said lower jaw enables the device to align a strip which is askew initially.

6. A device as defined in claim further comprising a back stop mounted on said support and adjustable transversely thereof simultaneously with adjustment of said frame.

7. A device as defined in claim 6 further comprising a guide rod fixed to said support and a feed screw journaled thereto in spaced parallel relation to said guide rod, respective guide sleeves carried by said frame and back stop slidably engaging said guide rod, and respective nuts carried by said frame and back stop threadedly engaging said screw, whereby rotation of said screw adjusts the positions of the frame and back stop toward or away from each other.

8. A device as defined in claim 5 in which said lastnamed means includes a clamp rod slidably mounted in said head, a clamp-operating bar above said head and having a finger engaging said clamp rod, toggles connecting said bar and said jaws, and projections on said bar engaging said retractable stops.

9. In a strip-processing line which includes pay-off reels for supporting coils of metal strip for feeding intothe line, aligning tables across which the strip travels from said reels, and a welder for joining the leading end of the strip in one coil to the trailing end of the strip in a preceding coil, the combination therewith of aligning devices carried by said tables, each of said devices comprising a frame mounted on the respective table for adjustment transversely of the table in accordance with the strip width, clamp means movably supported on said frame for gripping the strip at its side edge near its leading end and cooperating stops on said frame and on said clamp means engageable to signify that the leading end of a strip gripped by said clamp means is aligned with the trailing end of a preceding strip.

10. In a strip-processing line which includes pay-01f reels for supporting coils of metal strip for feeding into the line, aligning tables across which the strip travels from said reels, and a 'welder for joining the leading end of the strip in one coil to the trailing end of the strip in a preceding coil, the combination therewith of aligning devices carried by said tables, each of said devices comprising a frame mounted on the respective table for adjustment transversely of the table in accordance with the strip width, a head mounted on said frame for relative sliding movement transversely of said frame and said support, clamp means pivoted to said headand movable therewith for gripping the strip at its side edge near its leading end, stop means within said clamp means for abutting the side edge of the strip, and c0- operating stops on said frame and on said clamp means engageable to signify that the leading edge of a strip gripped by said clamp means is aligned with the trailing end of a preceding strip, whereby pivotal movement of said clamp means enables the device to grip and align a strip which is askew initially.

11. A combination as defined in claim 10 in which said clamp means includes a lower jaw pivotally mounted on said head on an axis perpendicular to the direction of movement of said head, an upper jaw hinged to said lower jaw, and operating means for opening and closing said upper jaw with respect to said lower jaw, said operating means also being connected with the stops on said clamp means for projecting and retracting the latter.

12. A combination as defined in claim 10 in which each of said devices further comprises a back stop mounted on the respective table and adjustable simultaneously with said frame, said back stop being engageable with the edge of a strip opposite said clamp means.

No references cited.

JOHN F. CAMPBELL, Primary Examiner. M. L. FAIGUS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A STRIP-ALIGNING DEVICE COMPRISING A SUPPORT, A FRAME MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT FOR ADJUSTMENT TRANSVERSELY THEREOF IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE WIDTH OF A STRIP, A HEAD MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME FOR RELATIVE SLIDING MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO AND IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS SAID FRAME, CLAMP MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID HEAD AND MOVABLE THEREWITH FOR GRIPPING A STRIP ALONG ITS SIDE EDGE, AND COOPERATING STOPS ON SAID CLAMP MEANS AND ON SAID FRAME ADAPTED TO ENGAGE WHEN A STRIP GRIPPED BY SAID CLAMP MEANS IS IN A PREDETERMINED POSITION. 